Review: Organize Your Home Office for Success by Lisa Kanarek

Organize Your Home Office For Success

Expert Strategies That Can Work for You

The stunning Lisa Kanarek.

Lisa Kanarek, founder of WorkingNaked.com, recently asked me to review her new book, Organize Your Home Office For Success. As we discussed the details, I had to warn her about my brutal honesty, regarding reviews of books, eBooks, and other products – even when I’m conducting the review for a friend – a friend like Lisa.

While readers won’t likely come across any negative reviews on my websites, I do give negative reviews. It’s just that I send those to the author I’m reviewing and they never actually make it to the public.

I think it’s only fair.

So as you read through this review, please keep in mind that I never promote products, services, or books that I don’t find thoroughly useful, helpful, or enjoyable.

Readability and Appeal

Kanarek writes in an easy to follow, easy-going style. Right from the first chapter, she sets her reader up for success by honestly and simply including the advantages and disadvantages associated with each aspect of working from home. By the end of the first chapter, you’ll know for sure whether working from home is right for you.

A clever way to make a space in a small loft apartment. (loftwall.com, workingnaked.com)

She styles the rest of the book in a similar format with “sticky note” graphics throughout that emphasize important points in each section. Kanarek includes photos of various home office configurations, furniture choices, and organizational systems.

Available in both eBook and traditional print formats, the book is reasonably priced at $7.99 for the Kindle edition and $14.95 for the paperback version.

My Favorite Things

It’s difficult to choose a favorite chapter or topic in this book, as each part delivers solutions to age-old problems and issues faced by anyone with more than five personal items to call his or her own.

But if I must –

I have to say that Chapter 3, Arranging Your Workspace; Chapter 5, Clearing Off Your Desk; and Chapter 7, Home Office Filing Systems receive speak to me the most. Each person will likely have their own favorite sections or topics, but the solutions Kanarek delivers in these three chapters changed my outlook and my perception of my workspace.

Here’s how

I’ve always had some sort of office space at home, but have worked full-time in my home office since January 2010. Friends, family and acquaintances alike have always told me they admire my organization skills – both in home and office spaces and time management. So, I’ve always considered myself efficiently organized and not in need of any major changes to the way I do things.

Think again, Sam!

All Media Freelance, LLC headquarters. Where I make your glitter sparkle.

This picture of my nicely organized office space presents a clear picture of how my space looks. Most of the time. The small organizational inconsistencies in my office rob me of my peace and sanity. Until I read Chapter 7 about home office filing systems, I thought everyone had meltdown moments because their filing system, while methodically planned, became periodically overwhelming.

Kanarek’s section in the chapter entitled, Finding the Right Filing System For You, helped me overcome the overwhelming stress I felt when trying to fit a new client or category into my imperfectly planned system.

“The key to filing is to make the system fit your needs and to make it easy to find the papers you need,” says Kanarek. “I’ve seen people make amazing transformations.”

My system certainly did not fit my needs. Here she lays out the three basic types of filing systems that everyone’s familiar with: alphabetical, categorical, and numerical. The beauty is that she goes on in detail about sub-systems within each of these three and includes a set of rules and guidelines for each type along with simple-to-understand graphic illustrations.

Needless to say, I am one of the people who made an amazing transformation. I totally restructured my filing system based on Kanarek’s strategy for a categorical filing system. Now when I open my filing drawers, I breathe a sigh of relief as I easily find the documents I need, archive old things, and file new ones.

What I Didn’t Like About the Book

The book is so chock full of incredible solutions and advice from this incredible professional, I wanted to do it all at once!

OK, there’s nothing I didn’t like.

Despite my inability to get it all done at once, I feel significantly less anxious, due to the transformations I’ve already made. I’m taking a breather before tackling the advice in Chapter 9, The Electronic Home Office – another area where nearly everyone can use some fresh strategies for efficiency.

Not only am I the chief editor of this multi-author online magazine, I'm a content creator and social media marketing strategist with a background in journalism, finance, & healthcare. I began my content marketing agency, All Media Freelance, LLC, in 2010 and lead a well-rounded, talented team of multi-channel content strategists and niche writers. I've developed and managed print and digital content projects for health care, fitness, financial services, mental health, non-profit, and automotive publishers, as well as for biotechnology brands.

Comments

As a busy mom AND a business owner, I could use any of these great prizes. In today’s hectic world, it seems like something always slips through the cracks and the perfect organizational system to get everything in order is just beyond my grasp. What I need now are tools and know how to help me get organized in a way that synchs with my busy life.

I NEED this book! I’m terribly disorganized when it comes to my desk & home office that is literally covered in papers, drawings from my 7 kids, books & journals filled with things to do. My computer is full of open files that are overtaking my screen. I need HELP! I’d also love her book “Working Naked” My husband works at home & he’d love that! Of course, I’ll have to lock the doors!

This is my first time seeing Lisa’s sparkling smile and face. If my home office has the potential of looking anything like her smile – then I’m sold. And why, might you ask, do I need her book and consulting help? Because I’m in the business of making my life look like a brilliant smile. Refreshing. Flashy. Clean.

I have to be honest and confess that I have a problem with organization. It’s not that I’m disorganized. It’s that I may be in love with the idea of organization too much for my own good. Needless to say, this review has won me over and I am in danger of adding this book to my stockpile of organization books. I blame you, Samatha! Ha.

I need Lisa’s book because I’ll start a career as a full-time freelance translator/linguist soon and I live in a studio apartment. My home office’ll need to be organized, with few supplies, and I should feel like I’m at work, even if I can see my bed while sitting at my desk. I’ll also be traveling, so I’ll need ideas on how to organize a “mobile” office anywhere.

Lisa’s book would be fabulous because at the moment, sadly, I’m a disorganized mess. Between fiction writing, editing, photography, kids, & life in general, I’m having a hard time keeping it all straight. I would LOVE to open my filing drawers and breathe a sigh of relief; as it is, I kind of dread it ~ lol.Shelli Johnson recently posted..Do You Live What You Believe?

As I am reading this amidst a pile of paperwork spread across the kitchen table, I realized I REALLY need this advice from Lisa’s book! I need to get organized with space just for work. A STICKY NOTE style book sounds great – I love using them for reminders. Filing is my #1 priority for our online business. I am taking web design classes in January, so I will need to stay organized for that too.Lisa recently posted..More on Facebook Timelines